Letter-carrier&#39;s mail-deposit box.



No. 817,048. PATENTED APR. 3, 1906 T. VAN M. DAVIS. LETTER GARRIERS MAIL DEPOSIT BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1I 1905.

ATTORNEYS' 4rrn srns TENT OFIQ.

LETTER-CARRIERS MAIL-DEPOSIT BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed June l, 1905. Serial No. 268,261.

To r/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS VAN METER DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portlandin the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Letter-Carriers Mail- Deposit Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mail deposit boxes for letter-carriers; and it consists, substantially, in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the distribution of mail-matter by the carriers usually employed in cities and other communities for that purpose it frequently happens that in addition to the bundle (or tie-out, as it is commonly called) of letters which each carrier has to start out with from the post-office or other station he is also obliged to carry another bundle (or tie-out) of papers, pamphlets, or the like, which considerably overburdens him from the time he starts out and which also greatly hampers him in his work from the beginning to the end of his route.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide means for overcomingl the disadvantage referred to, as well as to greatly facilitate the delivery of mail-matter by letter-carriers, substantially as Will be hereinafter more particularly described when taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specification, in which like reference characters indicate like parts in the several. views, and in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a mail-deposit box embodying my improvement, the door or closure thereof being shown in open position; and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of my improved mail-deposit box, showing the same as supported in position beneath an ordinary street letter-box as now employed in cities and other communities.

Before proceeding with a more detailed dev scription it may be stated that in the form of my improvements herein shown I employ a mail-deposit box of special construction havspecial means for fastening the same to a suitable support therefor and provided with a door or closure which may be fastened or secured in place by a suitable lock that is to be opened only by the letter-carrier or other person in authority.

In further explanation of the general purposes of my invention it may be stated that it is proposed that a inail-deposit box of my improved form shall be placed at some point intermediate of the two halves of the route of each letter-carrier of the different sections of a city or other community, in which the carrier may place the papers, pamphlets, or the like (made up into a separate bundle or tieout) belonging1 to the second half of his route, while he is engaged in delivering the papers, pam hlcts, or the like of the other half of the bun le (or tie-out) along' the 'first half of his route, thus relievingl him of the burden of carryingl the full quantity of papers, pamphlets, or the like along` the entire route. It will be understood, of course, that before beginning to deliver any of his mail-matter the carrier proceeds to the location of the maildeposit box belonging upon his route, wherein he places the papers, pamphlets, or the like belonging` to the second half of the route, as already stated, and whence he proceeds to deliver his mail over the first half of the route either by returning,r to the beinning,- of the first half or at the time he is returning from the deposit-box.

Reference being had to the drawings by Vthe designatingn characters marked thereon, l

represents an ordinary mail-box, such as is now ordinarily used or employed in cities and other communities for the deposit of letters by the writers or senders thereof, the same being supported in any suitable manner from a lamp-post 2 or the like, as is well understood.

My improved mail-deposit box 3 is not to be used by any person other than the carrier for the route on which the same is placed, and the same may be supported in any suitable manner, as by means of special posts therefor, but which is preferably likewise supported from the street letter-box (regulation) steel post or lamp-post 2, .located at` the desired position of use of the box. The latter may be manufactured of any desired matetial and may also be of any preferred form and dimensions, and any preferred means may be employed for securing the same to the lamp-post or other support, the front face thereof being provided with a hinged door or closure 4, provided with an ordinary hasp 5, which in the closed position of the door is received upon a staple 6 at one side of the box, in which may be suspended orplaced any suitable form of locking device (not shown) for the door closure.

As herein shown, the parts of my improved mail-deposit box are secured together by rivets 7, thus affording strength to the structure, and the same is preferably secured beneath the street letter-box 1, so as to leave a space between the two. The upper part of the box 3 is inclined downwardly and forwardly at 8 and outwardly and downwardly at the sides, so as not to interfere with the opening of the door of the said box 1, which in many cases opens downwardly, and preferably I further ein loy in position directly above the upper en of the doorclosure 4 a projecting weather-strip or ledge 9, preventing access of moisture or beating of rain or sleet into the box 3. The bottom of said box 3 (indicated at 10) is flanged all around at 11, thus imparting further strength to the structure, as will be apparent.

As a preferred means for securing my improved box in position at the side of the lamp-post or other support I employ ord'nary staples 12, which pass around the post with extremities thereof extending through suitable openings therefor in the back or rear side 13 of the box, (see Fig. 2,) and inasmuch as the ordinary street letter-box (regulation) steel post or lamp-post is usually tapered upwardly and it is desired to support my improved box in a truly vertical position I employ between the outer side of the back 13 thereof and the adjacent surface portion of the lamp-post asuitable wedge or block 14, through which the extremities of the staples 12 also extend, the fastening of the box into position being effected by means of washers 15 and nuts 16.

From the foregoing it is thought the purpose and construction of my improved maildeposit box will be fully understood, as well as the advantages thereof, and it will be seen that the same can be quickly made and readily applied in position and can be removed whenever desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent* A mail-deposit box for letter-carriers comprising a rectangular structure provided with a hinged closure at one side, means for securingthe structure to a supporting-post therefor, embodying upper and lower staples adapted to embrace the post and having the extremities thereof extending through the rear side of the structure and secured, and a block carried by the upper staple for interposition between said rear side of the structure Y and said post.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS V AN METER DAVIS. `Witnesses AUGUST PAUTZ,

PAUL G. WANDREY. 

